Rescue Me
by esentrik
Summary: Trouble arises with Ranger's daughter and foils his plans of winning over one Miss Stephanie Plum
1. Notes and other things

This has been rolling around in my head, and I'm going to finally unleash it. Not the best idea if I want to finish my last story, but I'm going to do it anyway. I'm going to mess up with Janet's time a little, you'll see once you read through. As a standard disclaimer, I do not own any characters but Ashley, Diane and Tyler (and a few others, but those are my main ones). But I wish I did…

"There's a problem," Said a voice. Ranger knew the voice well.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Your daughter." She said, as if something was his fault.

"Like to run that by me again? Why is it that she's my daughter when something bad happens, then your daughter the rest of the time?" He replied but he figured it was fruitless.

There was a silence on the other line for a moments pause. Not a good idea to agitate this woman, Ranger remembered.

"Just get down here." She said, and this time, Ranger heard a small crying on the other end. Ashley.

"What happened, Diane?" He asked.

"Catch the next flight into Miami." The woman ignored him and hung up.

He set the receiver down, then did as she had advised. He got a single ticket for the next plane out of Trenton. He called Tank and had a ride set up as he packed. This man was used to packing on the run, so he was waiting at the door when Tank arrived.

The ride to the airport was as usual. Silent. Tank dropped him at the gate, and before Ranger stepped onto the curb, he handed Tank a slim, white envelope. "Leave this for Stephanie." He said, and was gone.

-----------------------------------

Chapter 1. Trenton, NJ - 9:46

There was a crash. Usually, I've never liked loud noises, even when I was a kid. I sat straight up in bed. No bad guys came through my door, so I kicked my feet off the side of bed and shuffled into the living room. Rex sat twitching in his cage, apparently also awakened by the crash.

I investigated, carefully of course, because there tends to be bad guys who more often than not want to kill me, roaming my apartment. I came into distance of the kitchen, and a big, black cat ran the opposite way. Mrs. Kaluski's cat, Barinibus. I got closer, and noticed one of my glasses that had been left half-filled with milk was shattered on the linoleum. 

I walked to the door and opened it to let the impatient cat out. He ran down the hall and disappeared up the stairs. I returned to by bedroom and saw that my window was opened up. This wasn't anything new. The cat occasionally came into my apartment, mostly when it was cold out and his owner wouldn't open her door. He was a good kitty. Except for the glass thing this morning.

I set the coffee maker and stepped into the shower. I stepped out of the shower when the coffee was done. I got dressed and left the house with my pocketbook and a steel mug of coffee.

I was still working in the Rangeman building. After the Stiva-thing, Ranger has asked me if I would stay. When I asked why, he said nothing. Maybe he gets a tax-break for having a human wreaking-ball on his payroll. I was working more part-time for Ranger, then part-time for Vinnie. Ranger's side of law enforcement was a little to dark for me to want to play in. Ranger still let me use his computer, in exchange that I ran a few of his skips through too. And Tanks. And Bobby's. And Lester's. Just about every Rangeman had something for me to run. But, I was balancing the two jobs and not doing so bad financially. For once in my bounty hunting career, I was living comfortably. I still had to choose between a righteous pair of red pumps or name brand cereal, but that was one of life's disadvantages.

And I hadn't blown up a car in a record of 4 months.

I reached the office, and parked in my usual spot. It was a hike to the office from the very corner of the parking garage, but I didn't want to accidentally ding Tank's car with my gas cap if my car explodes.

On my desk was an envelope. No name on the front. Not a trace of who it was for, or from. But chances were high that I knew those things. It hadn't been sealed, so I pulled out my note. It was folded into thirds. Inscribed on it was a simple note. I had to go to Miami for a couple days. Be back soon. -Ranger.

This didn't surprise me. Ranger had disappeared for days at a time, usually leaving me a similar note. He always left me a note. There had been times that he hadn't even told Vinnie he was leaving, but still left me a note. I was still getting accustomed to the note.

Ranger had changed in the last couple months. He was more friendly and playful. Maybe because his chase was over. I had broken up with Joe, rather he broke up with me, but we as a couple, were finished. We met for pizza and beers for a while, but slowly those were going to end too. So maybe Ranger didn't have any competition and gave up the badass thing.

I missed the badass thing.

I slipped my note into my desk drawer and opened a file of a skip for Tank. Judging by the pile I before me, I won't have time to miss the badass thing.

Tell me what you guys think. I'm going to be gone for the weekend, but I promise to post the instant I get back. Oaky, so not the instant, but sometime Monday, I promise! 


	2. Droping the Bomb

Chapter 2 Miami Florada 8:30

Ranger got off the plane 20 minutes late. He picked up a rental car and drove the short distance to his office's apartment. He needed to talk to Diana, but he wanted to take a shower first.

Thirty minutes later, he was on the road again, this time to his daughters house. His relationship with Diana was complicated. For starters, they had never married. In his Senior year, he had met her and got her pregnant. Her father refused to let Ranger anywhere near his daughter again. To end any chance of a accidental bump in, he sent Diana to California to live with her aunt. By the time she returned, with a six-month old Ashley, Ranger was about to ship out for Iraq.

He visited his daughter every chance he had while he was on leave, then finally quit to stay home. But Diana refused to let him back into her life. Her father and aunt had brainwashed her and she was no longer the starry eyed little girl that had fallen to bed with him. She was a devil-horned monster who's only mission in life was to see that Ranger suffered.

Over the years, Ranger visited his daughter for the holidays, and on her birthday, and a few times in between. His daughter hated her mother as much as he did, though no influence by him. Diana had endured a lot of grief over being a mother at 18. In a lot of ways, it seemed that she felt it as a burden. She blamed Ashley, she blamed Ranger, she blamed everyone for her every displeasure.

Ranger and Ashley were both sick of it.

But no matter how he felt about Diana, he was still stuck with her. For every hate he hated her for, he love his daughter. She was everything she wasn't. And now she was in trouble.

He pulled to the curb and stopped. His daughter's car was in the drive, and Diana's was presumably in the garage. He walked up the front porch, and before he was even three steps into their property, the door was swung open and Ashley flung her arms around his neck. She buried her head into his shoulder and continued to cry the soft cries he'd heard over the phone.

Finally, she pulled away. "Hi daddy." She said softly and whipped tears from her eyes.

"What's wrong, kiddo?" He asked, and they began to walk into the house.

Ashley said nothing. She watched her feet as she walked, but Ranger watched her face. There was something forming in her mind. Something was terribly wrong, and she couldn't get the words out.

Finally, she whispered quietly, "Daddy, I'm pregnant." 


	3. Mothers Orders

I'm so glad this story has taken off the way it did. In reply to a review: sorry the chapter was so short. I was due to leave for the weekend, but my ride showed up late and I had just sat down, thinking it would be another hour, and then she showed up. The next ones are going to be longer. And another reply to a review: I had to mess with Janet's time clock. Ashley is 17, which will be explained later in the chapter. But, that would make Stephanie and Ranger 37-ish. And by then, if they weren't married, I would think it would be to late. So, using my powers to twist-reality, I have made his daughter 17, almost 18. That also fits with his past better (next few chapters...).

So completely sorry for not updating. I've had other priorities, like finals and weird family issues. But everything is taken care of now, so I have time to sit down and write a little. Please do not pelt me with various rotten fruits

Words got caught in Ranger's throat. A wave of dizziness overtook him for a minute, and he felt as if he was going to throw up. A tear rolled down Ashley's cheek, and Ranger brushed it away. He pulled her head to his lips and brushed a protective kiss on her forehead. Ranger slid his arm around his daughters back and led her the rest of the way into the house.

The pair was bombarded with smells of fresh fruits and warm cooking smells. "Mom's been baking since she got off the phone with you." Ashley said softly and detached from her father. She walked to the kitchen door, and said sourly, "Dad's here."

She turned back and walked past her father, up the stairs and presumably into her room. Diana came into the living room. "Well," she said, pausing to wipe flour off her hands. "I assume she told you?"

"Yeah." Ranger sighed.

"Can I offer you a pop or anything?" Diana asked.

"No thanks." Ranger said, trying to be as pleasant as he possibly could. "Mind telling me what's going on?"

"It's pretty elementary, Ric. Your daughter's pregnant." Diana said, leaning against a high chair back.

"I got that far." Ranger spat.

"Ricardo, I know you don't like me very well. That's just fine. But right now, I'm asking for your support." Diana asked.

Ranger looked at her. "Support on what?"

He regret the question the moment he asked it. "Ric, I want her to get an abortion." Diana said flatly, and smoothed out her t-shirt.

"Absolutely not!" Ranger exclaimed. "No. I'm not helping you there."

"It's the only choice, Ric." Diana said defensively.

"The ONLY choice?" Ranger raised his voice. "This conversation shouldn't even be happening." He replied in a softer voice.

"You're right. It shouldn't have. Ashley should have seen how completely screwed up our lives were and tried not to do the same damn thing." Diana quipped.

There was nothing Ranger could say that would turn this around. This woman was no doubt like her father. So, Ranger turned and walked up the stairs, leaving Diana alone in the living room.

At the end of the hall, Ranger could hear sounds of music playing from his daughters room. He rapped on the door with his knuckles. The music's volume got turned down, and Ashley opened the door. Immediately upon seeing her father, her eyes welled up with tears. Ranger pulled her into a hug and walked into her room. He gently closed the door behind her. Ashley broke down into heavy sobs.

A confused father had no idea how to fix this. He simply just sat on her bed, pulling his daughter with him, and let her cry. Finally, she broke away. She smiled at him and said softly, "Sorry."

He had a feeling the sorry went father then her break down, but he didn't press it. There was a moment of comfortable silence before she spoke. "I heard what mom said. I'm not doing it."

Ranger smiled. "I figured."

Out of no where, Ashley's phone rang. She picked it up, and smiled at whatever the person on the other end said. "I'll leave you to your call." Ranger said, kissed Ashley on the forehead and left.

-------------------------------------------- Miami, Florida. 9:47. From Ashley's POV

"Hey to you to." She smiled and twisted a stray strand of hair then flicked it out of her face.

"How are things?" He asked caringly over the phone.

"Good." Ashley sighed.

"Ash, how are things?" He asked again.

"They're alright Ty. My Dad's got in town this morning." Ashley leaned back against her wall and kicked her feet up on her bed.

"Is that good or bad?" Tyler asked.

Tyler had been Ashley's best friend for years, since he moved there in 6th grade. He had been the shy, geeky kid in the back of the classroom. Ashley was the only one who talked to him. Tyler and Ashley had begun dating early in Sophomore year. Now both were almost through with their Senior year. Neither one had huge plans for the rest of their lives. Tyler had been playing around being a surgeon, but that would take years of school that he wouldn't have the money for. But whatever the situation way, Tyler had vowed to Ashley that through thick and thin, he'd be there for her and the baby.

"Good. Mostly." Ashley flinched as a door downstairs slammed and shouting noises made their way through the floor.

"Hang in there, sweetheart." Tyler convinced. "I don't suppose you and your dad would want to come to dinner?"

"Me and my dad? What are you up to Ty?" Ashley gave a little squeal of laughter.

Tyler laughed too. "Well, I knocked up his daughter, I might as well give him a chance to beat me up a little." "Wear a thick helmet." She said to his good natured joke.

"I take that as a yes?" He asked.

"Yeah, we'll be there." Ashley sighed again.

They began to talk about normal everyday things, staying away from topic of pregnancy. In the middle of their conversation, more yelling broke out and the sounds of shattering glass pierced the walls. Ashley could hear her mother yelling, at no doubt her father, about forcing her to get an abortion.

Ashley suddenly got quiet. "Ash?" Tyler asked.

"I'm not doing it. I cant keep putting up with this." She cried, close to sobbing. "I'm going to leave with my dad. He has to go back to Trenton sometime. And I have to go with him."

"Shhh." Tyler encouraged. He had been actually thinking along those lines too. It would be safer for them in Trenton.

"I don't know what to do, Ty. Do I leave you here? Do I put up with my mom?" She was sobbing now.

"Shhh. Hey. Ash." Tyler said to try and calm her down. "Go with your dad. I'll finish out the semester here then I will follow you guys."

Ashley got a hold of herself. Tyler could feel her smile on the other end of the line. "I'm not leaving you or the baby, Ash. Never."

There were footsteps on the stairs. "I should go Ty. See ya later."

"Bye Ash." Tyler said.

Ashley's door was ripped open just as Ashley put the receiver down again. "Downstairs. Now." Diana barked.

With a sigh, Ashley trudged downstairs. 


End file.
